FAYETTEVILLE -- The football coaching vacancy at defending state champion Fayetteville has drawn several of the top coaches in Arkansas.
Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has obtained a list of 20 applicants for the head coaching position, which became vacant when former coach Daryl Patton resigned May 12.
Purple’Dog applicants
Coach^Position^School
Danny Abshier^head coach^Prairie Grove
Bobby Bolding^head coach^Pine Bluff
Ron Calcagni^head coach^Pulaski Heights Middle School
Brandon Craig^head coach^Oologah, Okla.
J.R. Eldridge^head coach^Arkadelphia
Perry Escalante^former head coach^Rogers Heritage
Matt Hennesy^head coach^Locust Grove, Okla.
Bobby Klinck^defensive coordinator^Broken Arrow, Okla.
Kent Laster^offensive coordinator^Frisco (Texas) Heritage
Benji Mahan^interim head coach^Fayetteville
Richie Marsh^head coach^Little Rock Episcopal Collegiate
Doug Means^defensive coordinator^Hope
Tommy Miller^offensive coordinator^Collierville, Tenn.
Jamie Mitchell^head coach^North Little Rock
Eric Redmon^offensive assistant^Little Rock Central
Don Simmons^head coach^Greene County Tech
Brad Waggoner^assistant director of player personnel^Georgia Tech University
Joel Wells^head coach^ Harrison
Dennis Winston^defensive line coach^Eastern Illinois University
Robby Wood^offensive coordinator^Wichita Falls (Texas) Rider
Fayetteville Athletic Director Steve Janski formed a search committee to find the next Bulldogs' coach. The group has already met twice since announcing they were taking applications for the open position.
Bulldogs offensive coordinator Benji Mahan was named interim head coach on the same day as Patton's resignation and led the team through the conclusion of spring practice May 20.
"We have discussed what we're looking for," Janski said. "(The search committee) has met twice and discussed what our top priorities are and what we're looking for.
"We're looking for a candidate with head coach experience and experience on the state championship level."
Several of the applicants fit those criteria, such as Pine Bluff coach Bobby Bolding, who has guided the Zebras to back-to-back Class 6A state titles. North Little Rock coach Jamie Mitchell, who led Starkville, Miss., to a state championship before taking over the Charging Wildcats before the 2015 season, is another candidate.
Several applicants have Fayetteville ties. Along with Mahan, who has officially applied, former Fayetteville graduates J.R. Eldridge and Doug Means have also applied. Eldridge is the head coach at Arkadelphia, and Means is the defensive coordinator at Hope.
Other coaches to apply with local ties are Prairie Grove's Danny Abshier, who led the Tigers to their most successful season last fall in reaching the 4A state title game. Also former Rogers Heritage head coach Perry Escalante and Harrison head coach Joel Wells have applied.
The position has also attracted applicants from the collegiate level. Georgia Tech assistant director of player personnel Brad Waggoner is among the applicants, as is former Razorback Dennis "Dirt" Winston, who coached the 2015 season as an defensive line assistant at Eastern Illinois.
The search committee is made up of Janski, Fayetteville High principal Chad Scott, assistant superintendent John L. Colbert, football Booster Club president Neil Shipley, Fayetteville alum and former Purple'Dog Michael Brisiel and faculty representative Liz Caudle. Janski announced on May 16 the committee would accept applications and resumes for two weeks before interviews begin.
"We have set June 1 as our date to begin interviews," Janski said. "And we have narrowed down the list to some candidates we're focusing in on.
A deadline to name the next Fayetteville head football coach has still not been determined.
"That's one thing we haven't put a deadline on," Janski said. "Even though we're kind of in an abnormal time, we don't want to set a deadline on this.
"There's definitely a right fit for our program we are looking for, and we don't want to put a deadline on that."
Sports on 05/27/2016